A 43rd minute red card for goalkeeper Brad Guzan led to Rocco Rios Novo making his first team debut for Atlanta United on Tuesday night. For Atlanta United, the outing in relief was a revelation and a sign of his potential at this level.
Rios, brought in on loan from Atlanta United 2 and previously with Lanus in Argentina, made several big saves in keying Atlanta United’s 1-0 win over Alajuelense in the CONCACAF Champions League. Together with Guzan, the Atlanta United goalkeeper tandem made seven saves against one of the best clubs in Central America.
Rios was signed just two days before the Champions League from Atlanta United 2, the MLS club’s USL affiliate. He had originally signed with Atlanta United 2 in March and, outside of a few preseason friendlies, did not have any first team experience to speak of.
“I think all of my previous experiences can only help me. Whether it was experiences in youth World Cups, or other matches in Argentina or in the friendlies here during preseason,” Rios told reporters after the match. “I think it’s especially important for a goalkeeper to get minutes, so all of those experiences helped me up until this point.”
Despite his lack of professional experience, the young goalkeeper has appeared regularly for the Argentine U17 national team. He was born in Los Angeles but has spent the entirety of his career so far in Argentina.
Guzan was sent off late in the first half after an errant back pass from Atlanta United’s Ezequiel Barco forced him to charge out of the penalty area. Sliding to make a tackle, Guzan made contact with Marcel Hernández Campanioni and took down the Alajuelense player.
The straight red card necessitated the insertion of Rios into the match. Atlanta United played the remained of the match down a man.
A former United States international and one of the steadiest goalkeepers in MLS, Guzan will sit out the second leg of Atlanta United’s Round of 16 match against the Costa Rican giants. It means that Rios will likely start again.
“It was a very difficult game with all the circumstances in the game. Going down a man in the first half and play the whole second half down a man,” Rios said. “The team didn’t have any other option but to come together like that and it was a difficult game.”
A Barco penalty kick goal in the 50th minute secured the important road result for Atlanta United.
Follow Kristian Dyer of ‘MLS Multiplex’ on Twitter @KristianRDyer